Card transport



March 14, 1961 Filed Dec. 31, 1956 L. A. WILSON ETAL CARD TRANSPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG- l I N VEN TOR LAWRENCE A. WILSON y WENDELL J. WHEELER ATTORNEY mzzw.

March 14, 1961 L. A. WILSON ETAL 2,974,951

CARD TRANSPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 51, 1956 N UHHF CARD TRANSPORT Filed Dec. 31, 1956, Ser. No. 631,660

2 Claims. (Cl. 271-51) This invention relates to an improved record card transporting station. In particular this invention relates to a card transport wherein cards are driven positively through a predetermined arc of a driving roll and in a predetermined tangential direction from said driving roll.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a card transporting apparatus wherein a card emerging from the transporting station will be positively driven by the driving roll through a predetermined arc of said driving roll.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a card transporting apparatus wherein a card emerging from said transport station will be positively driven in a predetermined tangential direction from said driving roll.

It is another object of this invention to provide a card transporting apparatus wherein the means for effecting a positive drive of a card through a predetermined arc in a predetermined tangential direction is self adjusting to compensate for diminution in the diameter of the driving roll.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of examples, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of the transporting station showing only the major structural features.

Figure 2 is a side view of the transporting station.

The apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2 is part of the record card machine shown and described in the application to H. J. Klotz et al., Serial No. 631,855, filed December 31, 1956.

The apparatus, Figure 1, consists broadly of a guide plate on which record cards are moved by a belt 11 and driving rolls 12 and 14 which in cooperation with idler rolls 33 and the ends 17a, 18a, of members 17 and 18 grip the card 10 and positively drive it to the next station while said ends determine the tangential direction of said emerging card.

Since the transport station is symmetrical about its center line only one side need be described and the description of the operation of one side will be equally applicable to the other.

A plate 19 acts as a support or guide for record cards such as 10 which are moved along over the top surface. The guide 19 has a turned up front edge portion adjacent the periphery of rolls 12, 14 and extending therebetween with rectangular slots 20 and 21 formed therein. On the underside of plate 19, Figure 1 or 2, a pivot block 25 is fastened by any desired method, shown in Figure 2, as screws 27. Pivoted in said block is a member 17. A stud 28 is mounted in said block 25 with a washer 30 fastened to its opposite end. The stud passes through a cutout 31 in member 17 so that said member 17 is freely movable. A spring 29 is placed between the washer 30 and the bottom plane of the member 17 to bias said memher in an upward direction.

' United States Patent 0 Patented Mar. 14,

The stepped portion of member 17 is adapted to be movable in slot 20 and is formed to have the same general contour as guide plate 19. Supported on the end portion of member 17 is an idler roll 33 secured by a bolt 32 so that said idler is freely rotatable. The periphery of said idler projects above the surface of said member 17 by a distance which is sufiicient to allow the end 17a of member 17 to be displaced from the driving roll 12 by a distance of approximately .004". The thickness of a card such as 10 is about .007". Since the member 17 is spring biased by 29, the roll 33 contacts roll 12.

With reference to Figure 2, the cooperation between member 17 and drive roll 12 can be readily appreciated. The end portion 17a of member 17 comprises an area. extending from the slot 20, through which idler 33 protrudes, to the tip of member 17. This end 17a (and 18a for member 18) is formed with a radius of curvature which is substantially the same as the driving rolls 12 and 14. In the absence of a card between rolls 12 and 33, the end 17a is spaced (as mentioned previously) from roll 12 by a distance of approximately .004" to prevent contact of roll 12 with end 17a and avoid friction.

In the operation of the transport station a card 10 (Figure 1) is moved to a position beneath pulleys 36 and 37 by a means (not shown) where it is moved by apparatus (not shown) into contact with the rotating belt 11. The card is then moved by said-belt to the driving rolls 12 and 14 which moves the card to the next position. After the end of a card such as 10 has passed from under pulleys 36 and 37, the driving action is from rolls 12 and 14 exclusively.

When the card has passed through the bite of the driving rolls 12, 14 and idler rolls 33 and the idler rolls are spring biased to contact said driving rolls, the end of the card is caught between 17a, 18a and driving rolls 12 and 14. This action operates to positively drive the card to the end of 17a and 18a. The extent of the end portions 17a, 18a determines the tangential direction of the card with respect to the driving rolls.

Accurate spacing between ends 17a, 18b and drive rolls 12, 14 is maintained by idler rolls 33 spring biased to contact drive rolls 12 and 14. As the material of the driving rolls, e.g., cork, wears due to the movement of cards, the ends 17a, 17b are kept at constant distance from drive rolls 12, 14 and accurate feeding is maintained.

The device described herein is used, for example, in any apparatus wherein it is desired to positively drive a record card beyond the bite of the feed rolls and impart or predetermined tangential direction to said card. In the aforesaid application to Klotz et al., this transport mechanism is used where it is desired to overlap cards which are moving in a different direction with respect to one another Without interference and/or where the cards are to be stopped in a predetermined distance in front of said transport and this distance is approximately equal to the width or length of the card. In a situation such as the one last mentioned, the positive driving feature of this apparatus permits accurate placement of said cards by driving the card to a stop located at said predetermined distance and preventing rebound by the use of members 17 and 18 which act as backstops when the card has cleared these members.

While there have, been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the inventiom' .3 It .is the intention, therefore, tobe limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a card transport, aplanar guide formed with a curved lip thereon for supporting cards fed to said transport, a first roll mounted for rotation about a fixed axis and having its peripheral edge in close proximity to said guide, a pivot block fixed in relation to the underside of said guide, a member pivoted in said block, said member having a curved end portion whose radius of curvature. is substantially equal to the radius of curvature of said first roll, an opening formed in said member, spring means secured to said member and biasing said member toward said guide, a follower roll mounted for rotation on said member and extending through said opening to contact said first roll at a point above the surface of said guide, the periphery of said first roll and said curved end portion being spaced apart less than the thickness of a card to be transported whereby said curved end portion and said first roll will determine the tangential direction of a card emerging from between said first roll and said follower roll and positively contact said emerging card for a distance equal to the peripheral extent of said curved end portion.

2. In a card transport, a slotted guide formed with a curved edge thereon for supporting cards fed to said transport, a first roll mounted for rotation about a fixed axis and having its peripheral edge in close proximity to said slot, a pivot block secured to the underside of said guide, a member pivoted in said block, a stud secured to said pivot block and projecting downwardly through said pivoted member, a spring secured to said stud and terminated on the underside of said member, a follower roll mounted for rotation on said member and spring biased by said spring to contact said first roll, said follower roll and said first roll being in contact at a point above the surface of said guide, a curved surface having a radius of curvature substantially equal to the radius of curvature of said first roll formed on said pivoted member at a point coinciding with the curved surface of said guide, said curved surface and the periphery of said first roll being spaced apart a distance less than the thickness of a card whereby a card emerging from the bite of said follower and said first roll is secured to said first roll by said curved surface portion of said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,537,645 Low May 12, 1925 1,760,152 Lorentzen May 27, 1930 2,104,630 Zahn Jan. 4, 1938 2,216,081 Kniehahn et a1. Sept. 24, 1940 2,521,951 Schubert Sept. 12, 1950 2,828,123 Guillemette Mar. 25, 1958 

